Rotary toothbrush



'Feb.29, I944; BORGEAT 2,342,833

ROTARY TQOTHBRUSH Filed June 1'?) 1942 Inventor Patented Feb. 29, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ROTARY TOOTHBRUSH Denis Borgeat, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application June 17, 1942, Serial No. 447,393

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a tooth brush and, more particularly, to a manually-operated rotary brush.

The general idea of the rotary principle for a tooth brush is not new and has been suggested in numerous patents. Although such a rotary brush undoubtedly has merits, and possesses advantages over the common type, it is nevertheless a fact that the brushes suggested so far had serious disadvantages such as:

1. Inadequate facilities for holding the brush in a natural and convenient manner;

2. Design adversely affected by water and paste,'both of which are necessarily associated with tooth brushes;

3. Complicated and expensive construction.

The present invention has been conceived to avoid the disadvantages enumerated above in a simple and efficient manner.

The primary object of the invention, therefore, is the provision of an improved rotary tooth brush having means enabling said brush to be held securely and comfortably.

Another important object of the invention contemplates a tooth brush of the character described, the rotary mechanism of which is relatively unafiected by water and the usual dentifrices.

A further object is the provision of a rotary tooth brush of the character described and of inexpensive and sturdy construction.

Still another object envisages a simple method of assembling the rotary mechanism of a rotary tooth brush in the simplest manner out of easily procurable materials.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description prograsses.

As an example, and for purposes of illustration, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the complete brush,

Figure 2 is a view showing the manner of holding the brush,

Figure 3 is a disassembled view of the component parts of the brush,

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of the crank knob,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a longitudinal enlarged section through the shaft and upper part of the handle.

Referring to thedrawing, wherein similar reference characters represent corresponding parts throughout, the letter A indicates the handle of a tooth brush according to the invention. This handle is Constructed with a view to afford an easy and natural grip and, for that purpose,

* it comprises a head it! in the form of an inverted triangle having a relatively narrow downward and constituting bearings 12 having aligned bores 13 formed along the horizontal axis of the head Ill. Finally, as shown to advantage in Figures 3 and 5, the head is provided with a pair of parallel, spaced, flanges l4 integral with the head body and projecting upwardly from the sides of I said head. As seen clearly in Figures 1, 3, 6, the said flanges do not extend the full distance between the bearings l2 but terminate just short thereof to provide spaces l5 between said bearings and the ends of the flanges.

The bored bearings l2 are used as journals for the rotating mechanism comprising a shaft-S having a bristle brush B at one end and a crank C at the other.

Said shaft is a composite of a wire core is twisted to hold the bristles l1 and a covering of thin metal, or composition, tubes l8 to give improved appearance and rigidity to the shaft. The bores l3 are of a diameter such as to permit an easy and snug fit of the tubes therein, so as to prevent wabbling of the brush B. In order to avoid lateral displacement of the shaft, th tube l9 covering the wire core l6, between the bearings I2, is of increased thickness and diameter so as to abut at the ends on the inner sides of the said bearings, as shown in Figure 6.

The component parts are shown in Figure 3 i which illustrates the method of assembly: the first tube I8 is slipped over the wire core and pushed against the brush B, where it may be secured by adhesives, crimping or, simply, a prick-punch mark. The core is then inserted in the left bearing I2 and the tube l9 disposed between the bearings 12 and the flanges M in a position to permit passage of the core therethrough. Upon pushing the core all the way through the bearings, until the left tube l8 contacts tube I9, the right tube l8 can be inserted over the core and both said tube I 8 and tube I9 secured by punch marks, as previously described. The remaining operations of bending the free end of the shaft S to form the crankshaft C, inserting the knob 20 and flaring the open end of the right tube l8, as shown at 2|, Figure 4, are easily performed to complete the device illustrated in Figure 1.

So constructed, the tooth brush is of pleasing appearance, simple and free of projections. Furthermore, the bearing arrangement described offers limited surface for the accumulation of foreign matter, grit, tooth paste, etc., hindering the smooth operation of the shaft, the spaces l5 permitting better draining of water entering said bearings and the space between the flanges l4 and tube [9.

Again, the arrangement of the larger tube [9 held between the bearings and secured to the core, effectively prevents lateral movement of the shaft in a simple manner.

Since the manner of holding the handle is extremely important, to facilitate effortless and convenient operation, the said handle has been conceived so that it can be grasped firmly and held rigidly. Thus, the shaft S has been disposed as low as possible with respect to the head 10 in order to be parallel to, and substantially in line with, the bent forefinger of the users hand, when the handle is held as shown in Figure 2. Due to the fact that, in the position illustrated, the thumb crosses the line of the forefinger, at right angles thereto on the opposite side of the head, said thumb may contact the shaft and frictionally hinder the rotation thereof. Consequently, the flanges i l have been formed to extend as uards over the shaft, on both sides thereof, to protect the same from contact with the thumb (Fig. 5); said flanges, furthermore, create a larger contact surface for the fingers and may even be extended upwardly a greater distance than shown, if need be.

From the foregoing, therefore, it will be apparcut that the present invention is an advance in the art of rotary tooth brushes; said advance representing means for properly holding the brush, improvements in the rotary mechanism rendering same immune from the efiects of water and solid accumulations, and a method of making said mechanism providing an easily cleaned, well-looking and sanitary structure at minimum cost and labor.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes as to the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a tooth brush of the character described, a shaft having a crank at one end and a bristle head at the other, said shaft comprising a twisted-wire core and a tubular foil covering, a handie having an enlarged head, said head having a straight solid and fiat top and extending downwardly into a grip, bearings formed integral with the top and projecting upwardly to journal the shaft in slightly spaced relation to the top, side parallel guard flanges extending upwardly from said top between the bearings, and means associated with said shaft and bearings for preventing lateral displacement of the shaft.

tooth brush of the character described, comprising a handle having a flat enlarged head, a spaced projection at both ends of the upper edge of the head, upwardly directed flanges formed on. the sides of the upper edge of said head to form a cavity, and a cranked shaft having a bristle head journalled in said projections within the cavity formed by the flanges.

DENIS BORGEAT. 

